Harper Kamp #22 of the California Golden Bears goes up with the ball against Andrew Zimmermann #34 of the Stanford Cardinal during the quarterfinals of the Pac12 Men's Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 8, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. California won 77-71. less

Harper Kamp #22 of the California Golden Bears goes up with the ball against Andrew Zimmermann #34 of the Stanford Cardinal during the quarterfinals of the Pac12 Men's Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on ... more

Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

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Stanford and Cal players clash in the air for the ball during the game on Sunday at Maples Pavilion. The Stanford Cardinals defeated Cal Bears in a close game on Sunday at the Maples Pavilion in Stanford.

Stanford and Cal players clash in the air for the ball during the game on Sunday at Maples Pavilion. The Stanford Cardinals defeated Cal Bears in a close game on Sunday at the Maples Pavilion in Stanford.

Photo: Kevin Johnson, The Chronicle

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1 or 2 Cal wins would reclaim some respect

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The Cal Bears got invited to the dance Sunday. Now we'll see if Mike Montgomery can get 'em past the punch bowl.

One way to look at Cal's invite to a play-in game Wednesday against South Florida, in Dayton: It's an indication of how the Pac-12's street cred has fallen into the gutter. Cal, a 24-9 team from a power conference, having to sneak in the back door?

Another way to look at it: Big chance for Cal to recoup some dignity, and a huge opportunity for Montgomery to enhance his rep, which is already pretty solid.

Show us what you got, Mike.

Montgomery, at age 65, having fought back this season from bladder-cancer surgery, has a chance to work his magic.

The NCAA selection committee made the Bears sweat it out Sunday, left them feeling a little like the dweeb chosen last for the playground pickup game.

"It was pretty tense," said senior forward Harper Kamp, after the team emerged from watching its fate unfold on TV.

Montgomery, though, looked pretty cool and seemed ready for what will be one of the most interesting one-game challenges of his career. Short time to prep for USF? No problemo.

"We've kind of, over the years, thought that one of our strengths, preparation," Montgomery said, "that that was one of the things we did best, figure out what we could do to cause people problems."

Montgomery was using the coachly "we," which means "me." He was reminding us that one of his strengths as a coach is coaching.

Point taken. The man is a professor of basketball.

Montgomery added that over the years, his teams typically have not won by sheer talent and physical domination, but by playing smart. Monty coaches 'em up.

This season, for example, Cal did not have 24-win talent.

Now the Bears are in a bit of a slump, having lost three of their last four, a stretch when they looked tentative, sloppy, maybe worn down, a tired team with no depth.

Montgomery, a very smooth spinmeister, says the mini slump "has to do with the league being a little bit better than anybody wants to give it credit for."

He paints a picture of a growing trend in the national media to disrespect, or under-respect, the Pac-12. It's kind of a movement that feeds on itself.

There might be some truth to that, but the numbers don't back up Montgomery. The Pac-12 had zero non-conference wins over top 25 opponents and one against a top-50 foe. If the media with its Eastern bias is inclined to disrespect and even ridicule the Pac-12, the Pac-12 has provided plenty of ammo.

But while he did some heavy lifting Sunday in defending the conference, Montgomery made it clear that he wasn't going to burden his team, or himself, with carrying the banner for the beleaguered Pac-12.

"Frankly," he said, "we're probably not trying to prove anything about the Pac-12. I think we're trying to prove something about ourselves."

For such a lightly respected team, and for a coach whose rep needs no defending, Cal and Montgomery are under some pressure here. Lose Wednesday and they close the season with a big thud.

With pressure comes opportunity. If the Bears can win their play-in game, then win one more, Montgomery can say to the world, "What are you going to believe now - your stats and personal biases, or your eyes?"

No question, this whole lack of respect thing is bugging Montgomery. He knew the deal Sunday, that his team wasn't even a lock to make the tourney. He had even done some pre-emptive pleading, saying, "If you can't make (the tournament) with 13 wins in the conference, if you can't make it with 24 wins, I don't know what you have to do."

Sunday he was still kind of scratching his head over why his team is considered such a lightweight.

But think how much better he would feel about 25 wins, or 26. You can make the case that Montgomery has nothing left to prove. Been to the tournament 22 times, and to the Final Four once, and he has revived a Cal program.

But he and his boys have a shot at making a huge statement.

As Montgomery said, "That's where heroes are made, in the tournament."